BH or real...... I really think I've fallen into the trap of forgetting what a contraction feels like in the last 3.5 years lol. With DS my first contraction came 4 hours after my water broke and within an hour they were one on top of the other. I remember saying to DP "oh I think this is a contraction and I don;t like it " I never experienced any BH with DS and he was born on his "due date". This time around, the last couple evenings I have been having this horrible cramping in my back and lower belly that's somewhat sharp and then goes away and then comes back a while later..... I kept thinking they were cramps or some wierd "all the way a ROUND ligament" but now I think, maybe these are what BH contrax are like. Just looking to hear about how you describe contractions and what you find the differences between "real" and BH contractions are.

I posted about this the other day b/c I was having something completely different from what I thought were BH, but I wasn't sure if they were real contractions or not. I've only experienced 2-3 natural contractions with my DD (the rest we all pitocin produced contractions). So I'm very confused as to what these were because I've never really experienced "real natural type" contractions.

I always thought that BH contractions were when your belly tightens up everywhere (not just where baby is). I've had these for awhile now, mine are not painful but some do take my breath away.

The other night I was having actual waves that felt like exactly like menstrual cramps. They didn't wrap around from my back or anything but I would start to feel them first in the top of my left leg then they would spread into my lower abdomen. They would start out weak and get stronger and then ease off to nothing. This went on for about 3-4 hours. They only covered my lower part of my abdomen though....

I don't notice a real, definable difference between some BH contractions and 'real' contractions. The only thing that is really definable IME about BH contractions is that they aren't consistent, they don't get longer or closer together. They're not a different 'kind' of contraction except that they tend to be more mild than strong active labour contractions, but they can definitely get close! Also, I've had many types of contractions throughout my labours. Some are sharper, some are lower in the belly, some are all-over, some are in the hips or back...there is no one type of 'real' contraction for me. It depends on the baby, the progress of the labour, the position of the baby, etc.

For me the bh contractions themselves are painless but incredibly annoying and uncomfortable in a deep way. Like I suddenly have on a very tight pair of pants. But the bh are pulling on my very sore and painful ligaments and that is what is causing sharp stabbing pains in my sides and groin. But it feels like muscle pain and not uterus pain, iykwim, so not worrisome.
With ds, the real contractions, even when not terribly painful, where very nauseating, and I could certainly feel it in my cervix. The mild ctx only lasted for about an hour and then they where very toothy, nauseating, and one right after the other. For 24 hours.
I overdid it last weekend and had marathon bh ctx. I had what I felt was one "real" ctx that made me nauseous and felt like it could have been working on my cervix. It was just like my ctx with ds. It scared me and I put myself on "couch rest" to calm the bh. All is well now.

For me, the BH's are all tightening...stomach and sometimes wrapping all around my back. Sometimes it's a struggle to breathe.

Real contractions are all in my back and hips. I don't notice anything (pain wise) in the front! Which is really strange even to me. I guess the back pain out does the front? I spend most of my labor with something jammed hard against the sides of my lower back/hips. (even sitting on my fists in the tub)

When I was pregnant the last time, I just remember that "real" contractions were much more intense. Like, OH! This is a REAL contraction.

I've been having my share of BH for the past week or two, but I'm having them A LOT today. And I keep wondering if they're "real" ctx, but maybe my pain tolerance is higher. LOL. Like I'm going to all-of-a-sudden just pop the baby out. Wishful thinking.

Are the BH supposed to be dilating &/or effacing the cervix? I can't remember. :/

I keep getting BH's that are a tightening, like a belt around my abdomen. They squeeze so hard sometimes that I feel sort of like I am getting choked. They are making me stop and concentrate these days but are still very widespread and spaced. Actual "in labor" contractions do not squeeze so much, they have more pain to them. It's almost like BH's only tighten the outer layer of my uterus, and in labor ones tighten the lower inner layers of my uterus as well. Usually I don't know I'm having a BH, instead I feel chest tightening or that choking sensation and then feel that my tummy is all tight. BH's also tend to get very tight around where baby is positioned like my uterus is "chewing" on the baby...but I will find pockets or spots where it's still mushy. Actual in labor contrax will be tight no matter where I touch, and it will irritate me to have my tummy palpated at all.

Hope that helps a little? It certainly is a different feeling for me, I can tell which is which. But then again I'm one of those "irritable uterus" gals and am used to listening and feeling what's going on (and there's usually something going on)...even when not pregnant.